"Aujourd'hui, non" (and other facts of life in Paris)

So finally... hello from Paris! Before I forget, my address does indeed have one additional line, which follows my name. It is: Lauren Haumesser, Chez Mme. Chemin, 42 Boulevard du Temple, 75011 Paris, France.

I arrived on Tuesday and have spent the week getting settled in. Paris is beautiful; I've been having so much fun just walking around the city. However, some things here can be a bit different...

Inefficiency: Let's face it: Frenchmen are not Germans, or even Americans. Things here simply happen at a slower pace. Setting up our internet -- literally acquiring a router and putting our laptops on the wifi (amusingly pronounced "weefee") network -- has turned into a nearly week-long process. My friend's refrigerator has been broken for almost a week. The server which Sciences Po students use to register for classes has crashed multiple times. Etc.

Delicious (and inexpensive) wine, cheese, and bread: Frustrated about that lack of a wireless connection? No worries: any problem isn't something a glass of red wine, a crispy baguette, and some fantastic cheese can't put into perspective. Our landlord took my housemate (a fellow Boston College student) and me to the market to be introduced to all of her favorite vendors. All of them were very kind to us, but Maggie and I were most amazed by the cheese stall, where the woman sent us home with a massive assortment of cheese to sample and instructions to remember which ones we liked so she could make better recommendations next week. Also at the cheese stall, a grandpa was holding his tiny granddaughter and teaching her about the different kinds of cheese... it was very cute (and very French).

Manifestations: Protests. I live on the Place de la Republique, where most of the protests in Paris begin. Instead of (or hey, perhaps in addition to) writing letters to their representatives, Parisians protest... a lot. In the five days I have been here, there have been three protests. The liberal Californian in me is amused; the part of me that wants to sleep in is not. The giant statue in the middle of the square is holding a big sign that says, simply, "NON." The protesters are now long gone, but the sentiment remains. Aux barricades!

Anyway, I'm having a fantastic time here. I went to Mass at Notre Dame last night (beautiful, but in French, so I was a bit lost); and today I'm going to brunch at a place in the Marais that has live jazz, and then maybe spending a couple hours at the Louvre. Tomorrow I start a two-week language course, and then finally classes at Sciences Po begin during the last week in February.

Au revoir!